Day 1: Drive to Carlsbad, New Mexico
/
474 Miles
I left Friday at around 11am CST and made it to Carlsbad at close to 6pm MST (you hop a time zone at the border and gain an hour). The drive from Dallas to Carlsbad is exactly 7 hours straight through. I stopped for a few “stretch breaks” and had some lunch which prolonged the drive a bit, but it’s necessary when you’re driving alone. This is one of the longest stretches of my trip and certainly the least eventful. I tried to make the most of it by paying close attention to the sleepy scenery around me. There really is a lot to admire - just small towns getting by. I’m sure there’s a good book written about it somewhere.
Along this route you’ll see many scenes that define the American West and the "American Way" at least as we like idealize it: Trains hollering alongside the highway, trucks hauling impossibly high piles of hay, oil pumps dancing on cotton fields in bloom, and ranches of cows grazing while wind turbines spin in the distance. It’s easy to imagine the lives that inhabit this side of Texas as so much of rural existence is experienced outside.
My first stretch break was in the small town of Cisco, TX (around 2 hours in). I stopped off after seeing a sign suggesting a small downtown with antique shops and restaurants. I thought maybe I could find a good sandwich to refuel. After making the exit and turning left, a half mile into the town, it became clear that perhaps that billboard off I-20 was from a better time for Cisco, TX.
The downtown was barely three blocks long and sprinkled sporadically with an antique shop or two. The few drivers on the road were overly polite and clearly moved at their own small town pace. I didn’t mind though, I had the time.
Realizing this isn’t to be my lunch spot I turned left at the end of the row to make a u-turn back towards the highway. That’s when I saw an interesting sign pointing just ahead of me, “Conrad Hilton Center”. Intrigued, knowing that is the founder of the famous Hilton Hotel brand I followed the signs to the end which lead me to a pleasant looking brick building in front of a train track. I arrived at the perfect time, pulling in just as an old black train whizzed by behind me, creating the perfect industrial setting.
I walked up to the door and the museum appeared to be closed. Luckily, there was a small pamphlet taped to the door and a series of placards placed around the property that filled me in on the history of the town. I had no idea that Conrad Hilton’s first hotel was a small two-story, 40 bed, brick building in the middle of Texas -- charmingly called, “The Mobley”.
Apparently, the motel saw a gold rush of sorts in the early 20th century when eager oil hunters rushed to the Ranger oil field nearby in hopes to “strike it rich”. The Mobley made stacks of cash renting out to these rugged aspirational men in just eight hour shifts at reasonable rates. Hilton, an aspiring banker, only bought the hotel after a bank deal he was negotiating to buy in the town fell through and he witnessed the surprise popularity of this simple hotel near the train tracks. In a sudden shift of goals, and a history-making move, Hilton bought the hotel and the rest is, well, Paris Hilton.
Who knew.
Back on the road I drove straight through to Abilene, a much more pronounced town 45 minutes West. I knew I could get some lunch there. Abilene has a long beloved history in TX as one of the former frontier cities and currently sits at a healthy big town population of just over 122,000 residents. As a side note, Abilene is not necessarily just a "drive-through town". For instance, If I had more time, I would have gone to the Frontier! Texas Museum. It’s a decent-sized interactive museum about Texas' frontier origins. The museum is highly reviewed online. If there is any “must see” attraction on this route, this would likely have been it. Alas, it was well past lunch hour for me though and I had only food on the brain.
Since I have my best travel buddy with me - my 10 year old Westie (Brody) I googled for a restaurant that had a decent patio for him to lounge around while I eat. I chose Taylor County Taphouse. I like a good local brewpub. If I had another driver I’d of tasted those local beers on the menu, but I settled for simple iced tea. The restaurant was a single turn off of a busy strip-mall ridden road and was easy to find. I loved the huge flags out front - a perfect photo-op for a “drive across Texas” kind of day.
The patio to the right of the restaurant was fully enclosed and beautifully decorated with well-spaced hanging cacti planters and rustic wooden tables and benches. In the middle of the tables there was even a cute wood-burning fireplace that I’m sure sets a nice ambiance on a cold winter’s evening.
As per usual, the waiters were most distracted by my adorable dog and proceeded to one-by-one find awkward reasons to come to my table to pet him. One guy admitted he only came over for the dog and I looked at him with complete understanding - he is a damn cute dog. But I did wish he would of brought me water first instead of just a bowl for Brody. Looking at Brody’s face while the water hit the ground, he clearly didn’t share my feelings.
Eventually I was able to place my order. They had typical bar fare on the menu - burgers, BBQ, and beer. I got a pulled-pork sandwich. The sandwich was good, but it looked prettier than it tasted. A neighboring table ordered some giant hotdog concoction that looked amazing. If I’m ever here again I’d give this place another try for sure.
Happily full and stretched I was back on wheels.
After two stops and 3 hours of driving I was back at it for the final 4 hour on the road. Leaving Abilene you immediately exit from the I-20 onto a smaller highway called TX-176 W, a sparsely populated (mostly one lane) road running through human life barren rural West Texas. If there was ever a place to gleefully speed, this is where it’s at. Most of this road is lined in oil pumps and cotton fields. The smell of oil refineries was hinted in the air. Every once in a while you’d see a pile of turned up red dirt, which as a fan of the red canyons that define Arizona and many parts of the American West, this hint of vibrant familiar earth made me excited for my adventures to come.
This highway stretches for almost 100 miles of my overall journey - not a small chunk indeed.
Word to the wise, there isn’t a gas station in sight until you reach the roads end at the small town of Anderson, TX. I learned this the hard way. Clenching my teeth in anxiety for the last 30 miles, I watched as my gas gauged mocked me -- counting down my last few miles in a haunting slow motion. Luckily, to calm your nerves and mine, I made it with just one mile left in my car. On the flip side, I did say a little prayer to my father whom just a mere 4 days ago convinced me to get AAA. I didn’t need to use it this time, but I was less than 3 minutes away from having to make that call. Thanks dad.
Ten minutes later I was back at it and eventually made my way into New Mexico -- beautifully arriving just as the sun was setting creating a painting-like pattern in the sky perfectly aligned with the changing of time zones. Texas behind me was dark blue and grey, New Mexico in front of me was shimmering in pink, orange, and yellow.
Stopping for a moment on the side of the road to let Brody out I listening the the light wind push the straw-like tall wild grasses as the sky turned darker with the sunset. It was a beautiful view and I’m glad Brody convinced me to stop.
The rest of the drive back saw me into the night. It was just a couple hours over the border to Carlsbad, my destination for the night where I’ll sleep before embarking on the Caverns tomorrow. Upon entering town I quickly found my hotel (though not before almost hitting a deer just blissfully standing in the middle of the road -- dare I say with a “deer in the headlights” look?). I checked in, settled in Brody with a potty break and dinner and rested for a few moments.
A couple things to note - Carlsbad NM is about 30 minutes East of Carlsbad Caverns and is a small town cropped up by oil worker transients and tourism of the nearby Caverns and National Parks. Hotels of all types are exorbitantly expensive here and regularly sell out in advance (no matter the season). For perspective, the Motel 6 will go for rates of $150/night in the winter and $230/night in the summer. Yes, that’s the same prices you paid for your resort stays in Hawaii that one summer. Carlsbad has cornered the market in the region as the most accessible city for sleeping while visiting these nearby wonders, so it’s important to book in advance and consideration of your budget. I chose the Days Inn, one of the only pet friendly hotels under $200/night that had consistently positive reviews regarding safety and cleanliness. Plus, I signed up for their rewards program so after 10 stays in branded hotels, I get a night free. Who doesn’t like free things?
Once Brody was settled on his bed, I googled some place for dinner before turning in for the night. I learned quickly that Carlsbad is not a food haven when it comes to quantity of options. In true small town nature, everything closes soon after sunset. I finally settled on a Mexican restaurant just up the road that had 20 minutes left before closing, La Jaunita. Since the short drive there was at night and in barely lit roads I couldn’t tell you much about the surroundings, but it was nestled alone on a street and brightly lit by a flashing neon sign scrolling the most beautiful words in human existence - “burrito...taco...enchilada...”.
The peach colored house-like restaurant with a bright red door opened into a checkered floor dining room that wrapped around a corner. The walls were covered in felt bedazzled sombreros and classic New Mexican chilli bundles. Little diner tables were placed throughout. The waitress met me near the front. I told her I was getting an order to go (I didn’t want to be the jackass that makes the staff serve past closing) and she set me up with a menu. I went with the child’s red sauce enchiladas (2 enchiladas, refried beans, and mexican rice -- I guess meant for a big child). I topped it off with a Mexican coke in a bottle.
When I got back to the hotel I dug in. Staying true to my past Mexican food experiences (which are thankfully aplenty), this unappealing looking meal of slop in a styrofoam container was FANTASTIC. The enchiladas were perfectly spicy and flavorful and the refried beans were the best I’ve had in a long time. Mixing the rice into the enchilada sauce will make your eyes roll back. This place rocks. Comparatively this meal just reminded me that Texas Mexican food sucks and it made me a bit sad. Sorry Tex-Mex fans! I will never let your bland deceptions wrapped in tortillas fool me!
After eating, I turned on the tv and got into bed. The pillows were perfectly fluffy, and sleep was inevitable. Within 20 minutes I was out. Day one was a success.
Culture Trip Pairings:
Music
"All My Exes Live in Texas" - George Strait
"Dallas" - The Flatlanders
"Queen of the Highway" - The Doors
"New Mexico's no Breeze" - Iron & Wine
Books...
